UP: Confectioners from Varanasi, Gujarat in Ayodhya to make 45 tonnes of laddus for ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony

Ayodhya: As the nation awaits the historic ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Lord Ram in Ayodhya on January 22, a group of confectioners from Varanasi and Gujarat are in the temple town, busy preparing sweet offerings for the dignitaries and devotees on the big day.

The ace confectioners have been tasked with preparing laddus with pure desi ghee, which will be offered as a prasad to Lord Ram during the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony.

The process of making the popular North India sweet started on January 6 and will continue until January 22, when the city will be swarming with devotees and dignitaries for the big event.

In a day, the confectioners are making about 1200 kgs of laddus. According to sources, they have been assigned to rustle up 45 tonnes of laddus for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony.

“The laddus are being made using pure desi ghee and will be offered as a prasad to Ram Lala on the 22nd of this month. We have been making laddus since January 6 and will continue doing so until January 22. In a day, we make around 1200 kgs of laddus. We have to make 45 tonnes of laddus for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony,” one of the confectioners told ANI on Thursday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at the Ram Temple on January 22.

The event has garnered significant global attention, with several VVIP guests from India and abroad receiving invitations to attend the ceremony.

However, Congress bigwigs–national president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Sonia Gandhi and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury–turned down the invitation to the Ram Temple opening earlier, labelling it as an event of the BJP and the RSS.

Vedic rituals for the ‘Pran-Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.

A priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the main rituals of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22. From January 14 to January 22, Ayodhya will mark the Amrit Mahotsav.

A 1008 Hundi Mahayagya will also be organised, in which thousands of devotees will be fed. Several tent cities are being erected in Ayodhya to accommodate thousands of devotees, who are expected to arrive in the temple town of Uttar Pradesh for the grand ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony.

According to the Sri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, arrangements will be made for 10,000-15,000 people.

Local authorities are also gearing up for the anticipated surge in visitors around the grand ceremony and are in the process of implementing enhanced security measures and making logistical arrangements to ensure a smooth and spiritually enriching experience for all attendees.